Students in Melinda Tracy’s Curriculum Equivalent English 11 class had the opportunity recently to participate in a virtual guest speaker presentation by Gayle Adler, whose grandfather was a Holocaust Survivor. Students are currently reading the Holocaust memoir “Night” by Elie Wiesel, which is a detailed, first hand account of Elie’s time in a concentration camp between 1944-1945.

In preparation for the presentation and reading of the memoir, students engaged in lessons on background information about the Holocaust, poems about identity and discussions on family history, family origin and how these experiences shape who we become as individuals.

Gayle Adler shared a presentation about the Holocaust with Columbia students as part of 3GNY: Descendants of Holocaust Survivors.

Students brought in artifacts and documents that represented their family. Lucas Fraser ’26 brought in his grandfather’s fire gear from the 1970s to show how it has inspired him to volunteer as a firefighter in his community. Zach Pauli ’26 shared documents of his great grandfather who immigrated to the United Sates from Austria in 1939 to escape the Nazis.

Mrs. Tracy shared pictures of her grandfather who worked as an airplane mechanic in the Army Air Corps in 1945. The students enjoyed Ms. Adler’s presentation and asked many questions.

Gayle Adler presented as part of 3GNY: Descendants of Holocaust Survivors. 3GNY is an educational nonprofit organization founded by grandchildren of Holocaust survivors.